Return of Darkness
by TommyGun15
Summary: Six months ago, Rot was defeated in the Kingdom of Fire, cast into the depths of a volcanic crater. But unfortunately, nothing remains of the Kingdom or it's people. In addition, Flame King, whom Rot granted dark new powers, has vanished. The land seems at peace, but anywhere there is an absence of light, will surely be the domain of Darkness. *Sequel to Of Men and Monsters*
1. The Setting of the Board

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prototype or Adventure Time. All characters within this work belong to their respective owners.**

***Read the bottom of the page to see my announcement***

* * *

The Return of Darkness

"_It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,  
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,  
It lies behind stars and under hills,  
And empty holes it fills,  
It comes first and follows after,  
Ends life, kills laughter." _  
― J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Hobbit_

Chapter 1

Jake's POV

It'd been a while since They'd had a break. It didn't seem so long, but now that he looked back on it, Jake realized that both he and Finn had been working on something or other almost non-stop for almost three weeks now. Not that it wasn't important, but all work and no play would make Jake a very dull dog.

So, that's what saw him sitting on the couch in one big, messy blob, playing Compy's Castle. As Jake thought on it, he wasn't sure which of their recent adventures had been the hardest. Finn said it was fighting that monster that ate the diamonds, but to be honest, Jake though it was having to collect all those weird flowers for that botanist. Stupid blue roses.

Casually, he looked out the window to see Finn, marching his way towards Flame Princess's house again, a single pinprick of light against the darkness of the night. Finn seemed to spend every free moment with her, not that it counted for much. She barely talked to him, or anybody for that matter. She seemed perfectly content to let Finn talk at her awkwardly, but as far as Jake knew, she still wouldn't open up to anybody. Jake was worried for her, but he knew that he could never be as worried as Finn was.

His thoughts were interrupted by the disappointing tones of the Game Over screen, and his attentions snapped back to his game. His only other thoughts on the matter were a few words, mumbled to nobody.

"Good luck buddy."

* * *

Finn's POV

The flaming house burned in the distance, the smoke curling upwards into the sky. It'd been a while since Finn had been able to visit, and he couldn't help but feel regretful about it. Flame Princess didn't talk much anymore, but he didn't like to leave her alone. She was in a dark place, and Finn didn't know why, but he couldn't help but feel nervous whenever he left her alone. As he approached the house, he saw her laying on the ground in front of her house.

She stared absently into the distance, tapping on the ground with her right hand, her left tucked behind her head as she gazed at the sky. She probably wasn't doing it on purpose, but Finn couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt as he watched her three fingered hand press into the ground, leaving three widening circles of charred grass. It was just one more reminder of how he'd failed her.

"Hi Flame Princess." Finn called as he approached.

"Hey Finn." She answered unenthusiastically. She hadn't even looked at him.

Finn lay down in the grass, about four feet from her. Sighing, he thought on his regrets, how he'd hurt her, and how he wished he could help her. But for the past few months, she'd been so quiet, almost dead to the world. She hadn't tried to hurt herself since that first incident right after the fight, but Finn could tell she was still trapped, locked in a cage of sorrow and regret. And it definitely showed on her face. It was thinner, and like her personality she seemed to burn less brightly every day.

"So," Finn began, "How have things been going?"

"Alright." She replied.

"That's good." Finn said. He waited a bit to see if she would say more. When she didn't continue, he tried prompting her to say something else, anything else.

"Things have been going good for me. Just last week Jake and I fought this HUGE monster, that ate diamonds. We had to lure it towards this cliff, then-"

"That's nice Finn."

"We also spent some time searching for plants for this botanist, and I saw some of the coolest blue roses."

"Ok."

Finn stopped short as he realized this wasn't leading anywhere. He sighed, and tried a different approach.

"Have you been doing anything recently?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual."

"So, nothing new at all?"

"No."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No."

Finn's sighed, staring at the sky in the hope that he could find some way to get Flame Princess to open up. But all that he managed to work up was a headache.

"So," Finn began, still fishing for something, "What're you thinking about Flame Princess?"

"Princess." She murmured, "what a joke."

Finn blinked, surprised to finally get a reaction.

"What do you mean?" Finn asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Nothing."

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the conversation once again ground to a halt. Finn stood.

"It's going to rain soon." He stated.

"I know."

"Well, I hope you have a nice day."

And with that, Finn turned, and left.

* * *

Flame Princess's POV

Flame Princess didn't move as Finn walked away once again. It was always the same. The same exact conversation, carried out through words that, though slightly different from time to time, always amounted to the same thing. How was she? What had she been doing? What was she thinking about? Questions that should be obvious, but apparently weren't. At least not to Finn. Ever since...

No.

The more she focused on it, the more it would hurt. That deep, inner pain that never seemed to go away. If only she could just forget. But such things aren't easily forgotten.

She could hear the gentle drone of rain in the distance, billions of droplets of water. Painful, stinging water. She did not move. When the first drop fell on her cheek, stinging like acid, she winced, but still lay in her spot. Slowly, another fell, and another, building to a steady drizzle. But still she remained.

Within minutes, the rain began to pour, beating down on her like a thousand stinging insects. A deluge of agony falling from the sky. She grit her teeth as steam rose from her body like smoke from a burning forest. It was as if the very heavens knew of what she'd done, how she failed her people, and punishing her for it. As minutes dragged by, she could feel herself growing cold.

She'd started four months ago. Finn had no idea, and that was just the way she wanted it. If he knew, he would try to stop her. She didn't want him to worry about her, at least not any more that she already did. She didn't know why she did this, but every time it rained she would go walking, or simply lay in the grass and wait. The pain was excruciating, but in the end, she was always alive. Perhaps that was her reason, though it made little sense. But then, her life hadn't made sense for almost two years now.

Minutes turned to hours as she lay there, mulling over her thoughts, her personal demons. It _was_ a joke, now that she thought about it. Princess. Princess of what? A burning shack in the middle of the grasslands, home to the last survivor of her doomed species? Somehow, she got the feeling that Finn would call her something else if he could. Some name that didn't remind her of all that had happened. She'd go by a different name too, if only she knew of one. But unfortunately, no one had ever called her by anything other than Flame Princess. It was the only name that she'd ever known. The one thing that had always been irrevocably hers, and she would probably wear that empty title for the rest of her life, however long, or short.

"What is it I'm looking for?" She asked herself, the droning of the rain her only answer. She supposed she was looking for someone to blame, someone to punish for what happened. Someone other than herself. She had the rain to punish her, and she couldn't really punish her father or Rot. Both were dead, her father having killed himself trying to destroy them, and Rot having been killed by Alex.

Rot and Alex. Those two were a mystery. She'd only ever seen Rot the one time in the tower, but stories of the atrocities he'd committed to both the Candy Kingdom and her own proved that he was a monster, and one that justly deserved his fate. He'd burned to death in the fires of the castle moat, but why did he do any of this in the first place? What drove him to such horror? She could only wonder why he would choose to attack the Fire Kingdom of all place, but now it was too late.

Alex on the other hand was more of an enigma. Finn had explained to her about how they met, but hadn't given much back story on him. From what she'd gathered, Alex hadn't been too detailed either. She hadn't gotten to know him much herself. They barely interacted before... well anyways, she was in a really dark place afterwards, and before she stared to get better, he'd left. Of course, _gotten better_ probably isn't the best term.

Finn did mention that Alex and Marceline would spend a lot of time talking when they were on the road. She didn't know what the deal with those two was, but somehow she got the feeling that if anyone knew the full story of Alex Mercer, besides Alex himself, it was Marceline. She hadn't seen the vampire queen since then, but then again, she couldn't remember the last time she'd left her house. Finn mentioned that she seemed a bit bitter about Alex leaving, and that she'd been having some kind of feud with Princess Bubblegum. Not that she could blame her, the Princess could be a real witch-with-a-b at times.

Whatever the case, Alex and Rot were connected, somehow. And whatever Rot did to her father probably had to do with that too. Maybe...

No. Whatever the case, it was unlikely that Alex was responsible for all this. But he was connected. Perhaps she should look into this. It had to be more fulfilling than wasting away in the rain.

"Huh?" Flame Princess muttered. She must've been thinking for longer than she thought.

The rain had stopped.

* * *

An Unknown Location

In a dark room, a large vat of black ooze sits illuminated by several lights. the vat is connected to several tubes, leading off into the darkness of the room. The ooze shifts in its container, flecks of green swirling around like stars. Two figures stand in front of it, their forms just barely distinguishable in the dim light.

"It it time?" one asks, his voice deep and powerful. It comes from the man on the left, his body shorter, and round. His left side was thin, almost as if burned, but without any of the scarring. Like all the life had been drained from it. But his right half was powerful, with muscles bulging beneath his skin. A large maul is slung across his back. A dark shadow radiates from his eyes, twisting like a strange black mixture of fire and smoke.

"No." a second voice answered, this one higher pitched, and louder. It almost seemed to be a shriek. This came from the second figure, whose body was large, and fat. His long, pointed nose and shark-like teeth made the man look an unusual combination of ridiculous, and menacing. He suddenly doubled over, coughing as an arm not unlike his own, but far thinner snaked its way up his throat, grabbing the front of his shirt in an attempt to pull itself out of his stomach. A harsh chomp and hideous slurping sound soon found the arm back in the man's gullet, where it belonged.

"Apologies." The second man gasped, wiping his mouth. "My brother still tries to escape from time to time. He just won't seem to digest properly."

"Perhaps swallowing some of our little concoction will put him in his place." the first offered.

"I think not _my friend_." the second stated, his tone indicating that the two were not friends at all. "I know that your mind does not belong to that body, but even that mind is not entirely your own. I intend to keep my free will to myself."

"For now." The first chuckled sinisterly. "But back to the matter at hand. What more preparation do we need before we can proceed?"

"We have the test subjects we needed, collected from my citizens who "volunteered", here at the offsite location for the substance, where we can extract more material for our experiments. My castle was too close to the Candy Kingdom, and you made the error of destroying yours, so this abandoned bunker will make due."

"Yes." said the first, "but what more do we need?"

"Well," the second continued, "while my own ability to study this substance is considerable, we'll need someone with a far great intellect than my own to make full use of it. In addition, we would do best to enlist the aid of someone who can wield this power efficiently, and to deadly effect."

"And I am incapable of such feats?" The first demanded, displeasure clear in his voice.

"No." the second interjected, "However someone else would be preferable. A bishop, in lieu of our queen."

"And if I am the queen, I suppose that makes you the king. Weak and slow."

"Your jests do not amuse me." the second growled, "But I suppose they do hold a grain of truth. While on the subject of bringing new pieces to the board, it may be prudent to find an occult specialist. Someone who is skilled in the magical arts might also be of use. And I'm sure there are a few others whose talents we could use."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" the first asked.

"As a matter of fact I do." The second replied, presenting a stack of files pulled from a hidden pocket. "These people should serve our needs nicely."

"I suppose I am the one who will be doing the recruiting." The first mumbled, taking the files and storing them in a bag tied to his waist. From that bag he then pulled forth a blindfold, wrapping it around his face and obscuring his strange eyes.

"That is correct." The second answered.

"Well." the first said matter-of-factly, "I suppose the sooner I go, the sooner I can be done with it."

The first said nothing more as he continued his way out, whistling a small tune. Once he was gone, the second banged his fist against a nearby wall.

"Stupid usurper Flame King." he growled, "Who does he think he is talking down on me? If his power were not so much greater than my own, I'd have his beheaded carcass hung from the walls of Castle Lemongrab."

His gaze shifted to the large vat in the center of the room.

"Perhaps..." He muttered.

"No no no." he said, dismissing the thought immediately. "I don't know exactly what it does, and I don't want to risk losing my mind to whatever has ensnared the rest."

A pained moaning sounded from the shadows. With a speed deceptive for his size, Lemongrab leapt at the noise and slammed his fist against the chain link fence that surrounded the area the tubes connected to.

"SILENCE!" He shrieked.

The "volunteers" were being noisy again. He hated that.

It reminded him of his brother.

* * *

The Candy Kingdom

It was nighttime. A cold clear night. The kind of night that would be perfect for stargazing. And at the top of the highest tower in the castle, that's exactly what Princess Bubblegum was doing.

"Fascinating." She muttered. "How could a constellation form so quickly?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a chill wind blowing through her hair. It carried with it a strange scent. An odd mixture of sulfur, and plasma. If she didn't know chemistry, she probably wouldn't be able to so accurately place it. Nevertheless, she knew exactly what the smell meant.

"Bonnibel." Came a cold voice behind her. She didn't turn to see who was behind her. She didn't need to.

"Marceline." She replied. "What brings you here?"

"You know." Marceline stated cryptically.

"I know many things Marceline. What happens to be on your mind at any given point isn't one of them." the Princess snapped.

"You're the one who sent him away."

"He left of his own volition." she countered. "He could've stayed if he'd wanted to, and I couldn't have stopped him."

"True." Marceline admitted. "But I read the letter you sent him. You weren't even close to subtle about the fact that you wanted him to leave."

"Subtlety isn't always necessary. Nor is it always welcome." The Princess said. "I'd think you of all people should know that."

"Careful Princess, your claws are showing." Marceline quipped.

The Princess frowned. Marceline was being very passive towards a remark that would normally send her into a tirade. She obviously wasn't going to be swayed from this topic.

"So what do you want to know?" PB asked.

The voice came from right behind her, in a low, menacing whisper.

"Where. Is. Alex?"

She let out a small chuckle at the question, looking back into her telescope.

"How should I know?"

Marceline growled behind her, the breeze exiting the window telling her that the vampire Queen had gone. She gazed once more at the new constellation.

"I think I'll call it... The Hourglass Eye."

* * *

The Grasslands

A man in a ragged cloak and hood stood at the top of a hill, staring at a large tree in the distance. The night was cold, and the lone wanderer had been walking all day. All day, every day, for six months. He let the oversized knapsack he carried fall to the earth.

"This spot will do."

* * *

**Well, here's the first chapter of the sequel to my other story Of Men and Monsters. Let me know what you think.**

**Also, as you can probably tell, I'm working on a group of villains. If anyone wants to send any suggestions for villains and powers that they might have, please let me know through either the reviews or PMs.**

**You support is appreciated.**


	2. Bleeding Heart

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prototype or Adventure Time. I'm sorry this took so long to come out. I've recently found myself very busy, and haven't had much time to write. Nevertheless, I will not deny that I really dropped the ball on this one.**

**In case there are any questions about the placing of this story within the Adventure Time storyline, it would probably be placed sometime between Finn getting his grass sword, and Lemonhope freeing his people. Obviously, I can't include the Fire Kingdom episode, but I suppose that gap was kind of filled in during the last book.**

**Also, I'm still on the lookout for any new ideas as to who should join this little group that the villains are building, and what powers the virus may give them. I have some ideas, but am open to any suggestions you, the readers, may have. You can either send me a PM, or leave a review with your idea in the box at the bottom of the page. Now, without further ado.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Finn's POV

The screams woke Finn up. He sighed as he slowly got out of bed. Out of the entire misadventure he and Jake had been on with Alex, the one that definitely made him lose the most sleep was the whole sphinx fiasco. Having your mind connected to a being whose every memory is stolen from people he's killed can leave you with some downright disturbing dreams. Alex himself admitted to not sleeping properly for over 1,000 years, but Finn did manage to have a few nights of rest. They weren't every night, but they were enough to keep him sane.

This wasn't one of those nights. This was one of the nights where the screams of the dying echoed through his brain until he thought his head would explode. The sound seemed to echo from everywhere, and nowhere. It almost made Finn doubt his own sanity at times.

Finn scratched irritably at his wrist. He'd had this new grass sword arm for about a week now, and it still bothered him a bit. It wasn't that the sword wasn't cool, it was. It's just that having a piece of grass wrapped around your arm all the time made it a bit difficult to wash your hands.

_TAP TAP TAP_

Finn turned his attention to the window as a loud knocking sound interrupted his thoughts. A large crow, almost 2 feet tall, sat at his window, tapping on the glass. Finn stared at it for a moment before opening it.

"Hello. May I help you?" Finn asked. He didn't want to offend the crow in case it was intelligent.

"AWWK!" The crow shrieked. It hopped into the house and fluttered onto Finn's nightstand.

"AWWK!"

"I guess you can't talk." Finn mused, closing the window. "What're you doing here anyways?"

The crow hopped over to the window, tapping on the glass with his beak again. Finn looked out the window. He could see the Candy Forest in the distance, and the Kingdom just beyond that. And just in front of the forest burned the light of Flame Princess's house.

"Wait..." Finn muttered.

About halfway between the forest and Flame Princess's house was a small pinprick of light, heading for the forest.

"What's Flame Princess doing out so late?." Finn said to himself. "Is she going out to get some more firewood?"

"AWWK!"

"OW!" Finn yelped as the bird pecked at his hand. "What was that for?"

"AWWK!"

"Whatever." Finn grumbled.

Finn took a look at the clock. 2:37. He sighed, and lay back down. He closed his eyes. The monstrous form of Alex Mercer, in full armor and bloodstained claws gleaming wickedly, charged him. As the knife-like blades were about to strike, he felt a sharp pain on his forehead. His eyes shot open.

"AWWK!"

It was going to be a _very_ long night.

* * *

FP's POV

The light was off in the tree house. Good, that meant Finn wasn't up. Flame Princess slowly walked out of her house, a backpack slung over her shoulder, and made her way to the forest. She had work to do, and she didn't want Finn getting involved. This was something she had to do on her own.

After about half an hour of moving through the forest, Flame Princess saw the Candy Kingdom. She pulled a cloak from her pack, and put it on.

It had cost a pretty penny, especially because it was fireproof, but the enchanted cloak would hide her appearance, making her unnoticeable. The salesman had been very clear on that point. It would not keep people from seeing that someone was present, but they conveniently wouldn't remember her face or voice.

Joining, the shuffle of men and women going in and out of the Kingdom, Flame Princess managed to make her way to the gate. She had to admit, the Candy Kingdom had tightened security in the last year. During Rot's invasion, most of the banana guards had been wiped out. It was a sad and painful truth, but the Princess had finally been forced to acknowledge the fact that her guard force had become lax, and ineffective.

This new guard force consisted of an assortment of different types of candy people, mostly because the Banana Men had been all but wiped out in the invasion, but also due to the evidence Root Beer Guy had given that other citizens could work together to form a more capable guard system than the old one. With that variety allowing for some guards to pick up on the slack of the others, and regular training drills to help the new recruits learn various combat skills, the Candy Guard was now a rather considerable force.

It was two members of this new guard that kept watch over the gate as Flame Princess made her way inside. She passed without incident, but the merchant who tried to enter behind her had his wagon searched. The guards evidently found something that shouldn't have been there, because the man was led away, and his cart seized. Thankfully, she didn't end up in the same position.

A few minutes later, she stood in front of the Hall of Records. It was still open. Good.

She had something to find.

* * *

Flame King's POV

He'd always loathed the Ice Kingdom.

It wasn't just the cold. It wasn't just the annoyingly idiotic maniac that claimed to rule this frozen wasteland. No. The worst was the snow.

With the blindfold he used to hide his eyes, he couldn't see. Normally he'd just whistle to himself, the sound allowing him to echolocate, and the blindfold wouldn't be a problem, but the texture of the snow dampened the sound and made everything feel out of focus. And he couldn't take off the blindfold, or he'd become snow-blind, and that wouldn't really solve anything. At least he had a general direction to head in.

The file had said that his target was a genius, second in Ooo only to Princess Bubblegum herself. He was supposed to be an expert with biology, genetics, and various poisons. His skills would be useful in reaching the upper limits of the serum's power. Still, his track record left a few doubts.

"He'd better be worth it." Flame King grumbled.

Whistling again, he could sense something ahead of him. It was large, and had an opening in the top. He'd reached his destination.

A few minutes of climbing later, he dropped into a large cavern. He clicked his tongue to get a bead on his surroundings. He could tell that several ropes were hanging across the ceiling. Something felt weir about the cavern though. A strange feeling nagging at the back of his mind. Almost as if...

Suddenly something darted at him from the right. He leapt backwards as he felt something swipe at his face. With his good arm, he grabbed his maul and swung it down on his assailant, a wet crunching sound confirming his blow. The sound echoed around the room, lighting it up within his brain. He could feel things moving all around him, the room a writing mass of snakelike tendrils, darting in his direction.

His arm moved in a whirlwind as he crushed the grasping tendrils darting for him. Blood fell upon him like rain as the tendrils whipped around in their death throes. As he fought, he made his way towards the nearest door, not even noticing as his blindfold began to smolder.

* * *

Marceline's POV

The wind was blowing heavily tonight as she sat, lost in her thoughts. She looked down from atop the mountain that formed her cave, her hair billowed out in front of her, casting an eerie silhouette on the ground below. It was strange. For the past few months she'd felt, empty. It wasn't quite the same feeling she'd felt when she thought Alex was dead, but in a way it was worse. All the despair, none of the rage. She could still remember the day he left.

* * *

Six Months Ago

Marceline floated absently above her couch, strumming a small tune on her guitar. It was an older tune, one she'd found one of the time Finn, Jake, and Alex had raided that old vault.

"_Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see."_

Her singing was interrupted by a knock at her door. She groaned a bit and opened the door.

"Alex?"

"Hello Marceline."

Alex Mercer was standing outside her door, a backpack slung over his shoulder, and a frown on his face. Marceline was surprised to see him, though not unpleasantly. Her next jam session with him and the others wasn't till Saturday.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh. Do you want to come inside?" she invited, a bit of color touching her normally pale cheeks.

"No." Alex replied. "I don't want to make this any harder than it already is."

Marceline could almost feel the pit that was opening up in her stomach. She'd never liked bad news.

"Marceline, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to leave."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"I got a letter from the Princess today. She said that my parole is up, and she wants me to go. Normally I'd stay just to spite her, but I think we've all had enough fighting recently, and the last thing I want to do is cause another incident."

Marceline stood completely still for a moment. The Princess was sticking her nose in again. Alex was right of course, but it was still tempting to grab her axe and start swinging again. instead, she'd go for the next best thing.

"Right." Marceline began, "I'm coming with you."

"No." Alex objected, "I don't want that. I just came here to let you know I was leaving."

"You can't stop me from following you." Marceline stated.

"That's assuming you can keep up." Alex shot back. And with that, he was off.

Marceline stood there surprised for about a second before flying after him. She dashed out of her cave and into the night, matching Alex's pace on foot.

"I'm not letting you leave without me!" Marceline shouted over the wind, her hair flying wildly behind her.

"I can't let you come with me Marceline! There are some things I need to do, and I need to do them alone!"

"What things? What could you possibly do by yourself that you can't do here?"

Alex didn't reply. Instead he began to pick up speed, outpacing Marceline in minutes. Soon, he was clear over the horizon. Marceline followed his tracks for a bit, but eventually those just disappeared. She pounded the ground in anger, a nearby bird squawking in surprise at the sudden noise. Hanging her head, Marceline flew back to her cave.

Inside her house, Marceline began to storm about, forgoing flight in favor of the sound of her own heavy footfalls. She was cursing her luck, cursing the sun and stars, cursing every deity she could think of. She cursed Princess Bubblegum, and Finn, and Jake. But most of all, she cursed Alex Mercer.

She swung her axe at the nearest object, repeatedly striking it with bone crushing force. Eventually, the supposedly indestructible Couch of Doom lay in a destroyed pile of wood, fabric, and old cotton. She stared down at the shattered remains of the couch, feeling her anger being to dissipate. She leaned back, letting her levitation catch her. She began to strum her guitar.

_"Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind."_

She didn't even notice as the first tear began to roll down her cheek.

* * *

Present

Marceline lay back on the rocks, letting out a sigh of regret.

"Why do I care so much? Damn you Alex Mercer. Damn you."

* * *

The Ice Cave

Deep within the caverns of the cave, a lost soul dwelled. He could leave at any time, but chose not to, so consumed was he by hate and envy. Here he was master, but in a way, was also a prisoner. A prisoner of his own dark heart.

He could sense the intruder drawing ever closer, it's weapon smashing through walls and defenses with ease. It had a strange power about it, like a whirling shadow surrounded it, cold to the touch yet burning like fire. This power scared the Dweller, yet fascinated him. It reminded him of when he'd been part of a much greater whole, when his considerable intelligence had been directed towards meaningful goals, ones beyond the simple gathering of resources to keep him and his semi-biotic cage alive. It lit a spark in him, one that he'd not felt since his rejection. He tried to remember what that spark was called. It took little time for a name to swim into the forefront of his consciousness.

Curiosity.

That was it. For the first time in over a year, he felt the need to learn more about something. With a silent command to his defenses, his "body", the attack on the intruder stopped.

It was then that he realized just how long he'd been within the cave. Having little reason to move, the living tissue of his lair had slowly come to encircle him, closing around his still form like the sealing of an open wound. With some effort, he began to pull at the tendons and sinew connecting him, keeping him trapped to the floor of his lair. With a stab of pain, he opened his eyes, and was free.

It was a strange sensation, being disconnected after so long. On one hand, it was liberating to feel his own body again, even if the form was rather limited. To raise his arm and see his hand on the end of it. No longer did he have many arm he could not see, nor eyes that saw from every angle. His own perspective was the only one he could see, and in a way it scared him. It was like having part of his own body severed, yet also like throwing off a set of shackles.

A steady blackening of the wall ahead of him caught his attention, and he looked to see a large maul punch its way through the weakened flesh, small droplets of black blood dripping from the area around the opening.

The figure that loomed forth seemed to have stepped straight from a nightmare. It was tall and broad, it's right arm a bulging mass of muscle, it's left twisted beyond use. A nimbus of black fire raced across it's skin, bathing the room in an unholy purple glow. It's face was twisted into a furious grimace, the detail of it obscured by black flames that pour from its cracked, empty eye sockets like smoke.

The Dweller stood frozen for a moment as the burning man glared at him, his eyes radiating pure malice. Then the man inhaled, and the black flames withdrew into his body. He growled.

"Ricardio?" The man asked.

The Dweller's eyes widened at the name he'd not been called for well over a year now.

"I was once called that." he replied, his voice caught somewhere between fear, and regret. "And may I ask your name?"

"Spare me your pleasantries, you may call me King. I am here with an offer for you."

"A fine way to extend an offer, breaking into a man's home." Ricardio observed.

"A fine way to greet guests, attacking them like that." King countered. "But enough games. Did you not attempt on multiple occasions to take the princess of the Candy Kingdom for your own?"

"I did." Ricardio answered, gritting his teeth at the mention of his failed schemes.

"And those attempts were unsuccessful, were they not."

Ricardio turned from King, his fists clenched in anger.

"What purpose do you have, breaking into my home and taunting me with my past failures? Do you seek to torment me? Ask me what you wish to ask me, so that I may deny you and you may be on your way!"

"I offer you a way to obtain that which you have tried, and failed, to reach."

Ricardio froze at those words, not quite sure he'd heard correctly. After a moment, he spoke.

"And what method do you offer to take the Princess that I have not already thought of, and dismissed?"

"You have been locked away for too long, Ricardio. The world has changed in the last year, and with it comes a new source of power, which me and my compatriot believe may be the key to obtaining that which we desire. We offer to you whatever prize you may choose, in exchange for your services in unlocking this power's true potential."

Ricardio grinned, at the thought. The Princess! She would be his! He turned to the man and extended his hand.

"You have yourself a deal, King." He said.

"Very well." King took Ricardio's hand and shook it.

Then, without warning, King grabbed Ricardio by the head with his other hand, a deceptively strong grip hidden within the twisted limb. Dark fire ran across King's arm as terrible pain, and a chilling cold struck him like a bolt of lightning as he felt something powerful, dark, and terribly evil pass through his soul. He writhed for a moment, held in the air as King dug his burning fingers into Ricardio's head. Then he fell to the ground, his body limp.

When he was able to push himself to his feet, he reached up to feel a scarred handprint seared into his head.

"I have given you my mark." King stated, dropping a bandana on the ground. "It shall serve as a constant reminder of your allegiance to me, and insurance in case you should decided to betray us. You are to keep it covered whenever you go out in public, which you shall not do without my leave."

King pulled a blindfold from a bag on his waist, tying it around his eyes to conceal them.

"Let us depart."

And with that he walked off, whistling to himself.

Ricardio growled as the dull pain began to fade. He picked up the bandana and tied it around his head. There was no backing out now.

As the two emerged into the sunlight, Ricardio squinted against the harsh sunlight. He hadn't seen it in months.

Perhaps it was a trick of the brain, but he could've sworn he saw a cloaked figure sitting atop a flying carpet in the distance, watching them.

* * *

**And here's Chapter 2. As I said before, if there are any existing Adventure Time villains you'd like to see appear, send me a PM or leave a note in the Reviews section.**

**_READ AND REVIEW, OR FLAME KING WILL FIND YOU!_**


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